


Ginga Densetsu Tora

by Copperfur



Series: these pawprints overlap [4]
Category: Ginga | Silver Fang
Genre: F/M, Kamakura period Japan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-03-02 23:23:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 8,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13328604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Copperfur/pseuds/Copperfur
Summary: Post-Ginga Densetsu Akame manga. What if Hakutaka's first litter consisted of a single female after the Koga killed her brother? Follow the pawsteps of a growing Tora as she overcomes the hurdles life and the Koga throw at her.





	1. Chapter 1

The Kamakura period, dating from 1185 to 1333, was when the war between the Iga and the Koga originated. The war would go on to devastate both clans, humans and dogs alike. Families would be torn apart: mothers, children, females, males and puppies killed.

 

Two particular Koga are the first focus.

* * *

"Sis, I don't think I belong here at all…" Raiju muttered in a plaintive tone to his sister Kaguya. His green eyes looked miserable as he wallowed in doubt and grief. As the older sibling, he still couldn’t forgive himself for what had happened to the Koga puppies they had been raised alongside.

 

He’d felt like this for a while, ever since the older females of the clan rejected them as their offspring. Even now, Raiju didn’t believe they had Koga parents.

 

Kaguya knew every attempt by her to tell him otherwise fell on deaf ears, but that didn’t matter to her. They were both strong in their own right but, when her brother felt like this, she had to be even stronger. However, she accepted she couldn’t carry his burden all the time.

 

“Raiju, I understand how you feel, but I can’t change what happened.” She began to explain, voice low and sympathetic. The black-furred female sat for a moment and used a hind leg to scratch herself. Rising to her paws, Kaguya padded over and nuzzled her brother, letting him know she was there for him.

 

“I know it’s hard, brother, but the Koga are true fighters.”

 

Raiju was a dog haunted by his past and motivated by the present. The dark grey-coloured male stood swiftly, surprising his sister. “Thank you, for always being there for me.” He replied to Kaguya, before turning to pad away.

 

“Raiju?”

 

“We’re going back to camp to talk with our leader.”

* * *

Iga humans came thundering past, shouts rippling through the air announcing the birth of a brand new litter. Dogs and humans alike gathered, each individual fighting to catch a glimpse of the newborns.

 

Tora stayed well out of the way. The young grey dog huddled atop a nearby pile of timber, where she had no risk of being stepped on and had a good view of the building in which her siblings were being born.

 

Her father, a well-muscled male shouldered his way through the bodies, and the crowd parted as he approached the mother and her four pups. White-furred Hakutaka stood before his mate and lowered his head to nuzzle her, murmuring words of encouragement as she recovered from the birthing of her children.

 

Behind him, the crowd of dogs began to grow impatient. As the humans fussed over the pups, ensuring they were born healthy, murmurs swept through the gathered dogs. One finally stepped forward, head bowed as he approached his leader.

 

“Sir? The pups. Are they…”

 

Hakutaka answered the question that had been lingering on every dog’s mind. “Four females.”

 

A dissatisfied mutter arose in the pack. “Another litter and still no heir.” One dog grumbled. “Akira’s getting too old to have any more pups…”

 

Another nodded. “Looks like that first-born of his is finally going to have to make herself useful.”

 

Tora’s ears flattened against her head and she clambered down from her perch to slink away into the forest before she could hear any more. This litter was supposed to finally hold the heir to her father’s bloodline and her parents’ ageing meant the responsibility for bearing a son lay on her shoulders.

 

The problem was, she didn’t love any of the male ganin here. Therefore, would she have to extend her search radius elsewhere?


	2. Chapter 2

After Tora left the Iga with the birth and care of her younger sisters, she padded aimlessly, her thoughts straying to a possible mate.

 

It was all the Koga’s fault her brother had left her parents with no choice but to have another litter. If the Koga hadn’t killed Saru, her packmates wouldn’t be pressuring her right now to produce an heir.

 

It didn’t help that there were currently no Iga ganin she was interested in. A thought occurred to her. _Would it really hurt to fall in love with a Koga?_ She wondered, despite knowing inter-clan relationships were forbidden.

 

Without realizing it, she had come to the border of Iga territory that was beside that of the Koga. Tora was one pawstep from entering enemy country when she was confronted with two Koga ganin: one male, the other female.

 

The male snarled viciously. “What are you doing on our land?”

 

The female, Tora assumed her to be the sibling of the male, merely watched. But she seemed interested in an Iga wandering from their own territory.

 

“Oh, I-I’m sorry.” Tora stammered an apology, unsure if he would believe her. “I was lost in my thoughts; I didn’t mean to.”

 

The male growled louder than before. “Cut the crap!” He snapped his fangs at her. “You know this is the border. We shouldn’t have to point that out. What’s really going on?”

 

“My packmates expect me to produce an heir… since my brother was killed… and there were no males in the newest litter.” Tora explained, knowing Hakutaka as the alpha could kill her for revealing secrets to the enemy.

 

He would be fulfilling his role as alpha if he knew she was fraternizing with their foes. But for some reason, she felt she could trust these two Koga. _Why?_

 

“Calm down, Raiju.” The female Koga spoke for the first time. “Can’t you see she’s not looking for a fight?” She cast Tora an apologetic look. “And even if she was, it’ll be two against one. An Iga weakling would never be a match against us.”

 

Tora could feel her hackles rising. “What did you just call me?”

 

The female casually flicked an ear. “Are all you Iga dogs this sensitive?” She pondered aloud.

 

“Typical Kaguya.” Raiju muttered. “And you call _me_ confrontational…”

 

Tora stared at the two bickering dogs in dumbfounded silence. Were these really members of the feared Koga clan? So much for the proud, fearsome clan of bloodthirsty warriors she had been told stories of all her life.

 

She was turning to leave the pair while they were distracted when Kaguya’s sharp voice made her stop in her tracks. “Where do you think you’re going?”

 

Tora froze, heart pounding. She slowly turned to face the two. The Koga dogs stared at her with narrowed eyes.

 

“Well?” Kaguya asked expectantly.

 

“What?”

 

“Do you agree with me? Is my idiot brother being too overbearing?”

 

For a moment, Tora was at a loss for words. This was not at all how she had imagined her first meeting with the dreaded Koga clan to go.

 

“Er… A little?” Tora said, her voice meek.

 

Kaguya’s face broke into a smirk. “I knew it!” She crowed, turning to Raiju. “See, you really need to loosen up.” Her gaze fell back on Tora. “Everyone in the Koga was building you guys up to be a horrifying threat, but you don’t seem too bad. For an Iga mutt, at least. See you same time tomorrow?”

 

The suggestion came out of nowhere. It may have been a trap. Nonetheless, Tora never knew why she said yes.


	3. Chapter 3

Tora returned to the Iga village in a daze.

 

She was still struggling to believe what had just happened. Raiju and Kaguya were Koga dogs, there was no doubt about that. Their features and attitudes certainly matched up with everything she had been taught about them. Though, she couldn’t have exactly called them threatening.

 

She tried to make sense of the meeting. On one hand, she could use this opportunity to her full advantage. Perhaps learning about the enemy could give her invaluable information on their weaknesses. She didn’t know too much about espionage, but the idea had always been somewhat appealing to her.

 

Though, chances were, the Koga dogs were possibly thinking the same thing. After all, _they_ had suggested meeting again. Maybe _they_ were the ones planning on using her to spy on the Iga.

 

“Tora!”

 

She froze up as Katsu’s voice reached her ears. He was an older dog who had earned himself a reputation as being a conservative character that Iga youths didn’t enjoy crossing paths with.

 

“Where have you been? Have you met your sisters? Come, come.”

 

She found herself being swept through the village toward the building her mother and sisters resided in. Her mother lay asleep on a bed of straw, her body illuminated by a sunbeam that enveloped both her and her four pups that were snuggled against her soft fur. The puppies were all female, their pelts a spectrum of shades of black, white and grey.

 

“Ushi, Tatsu, Nezumi and Hebi.” Katsu murmured. “They‘ll make fine ganin. Their only shortcomings are their lack of eligibility as successors for our leader.”

 

Tora hummed, only half paying attention to what was being said. After all, she’d heard it all before. Her eyes were fixed on her baby sisters.

 

“So?”

 

“So?” Tora found herself echoing.

 

“Well,” Katsu said with unconcealed impatience. “Your parents are getting too old to have another litter. And, as you know, you’re around the right age for…”

 

Oh no. She was not going to have this conversation. At least, not with her ageing clanmate, that was for sure.

 

“For the good of the Iga, your father requires a male heir.” Katsu went on. “And as you also know…”

 

Tora could feel a sinking feeling in her stomach. Did everybody expect her to get it going on with any eligible male just for the sake of a grandson for her father? She was perfectly willing to find romance on her own accord, but what was the use when she was only doing it to satisfy the expectations of others?

 

Paying no mind to her obvious discomfort, Katsu continued: “The legacy of Akame must be upheld…”

 

It was always about that, wasn’t it? Her father’s legacy was everything anybody wanted to talk to her about. What did it matter to her? What did it matter to anybody? Was it really _that_ necessary that her father received an heir? Perhaps the fact that he’d only been able to have daughters was an omen.

 

Tuning out Katsu’s voice, her mind drifted back to the Iga dogs. She had been given an opportunity to gain insight on the workings of the deadly Koga clan given to her on a silver platter. How could she refuse?

 

“Do you understand the importance of this?” She squirmed under Katsu’s intense gaze. “Your father needs you to cooperate. For the good of us all.”

 

Tora nodded silently, though her mind couldn’t have been further away from the discussion at hand.

 

Tora couldn’t believe what she was going to do.

 

She was going to return to meet her greatest enemies.


	4. Chapter 4

Tora’s dark grey coat blended into the shadows as she stalked through the forest’s thick foliage. Mentally exhausted from the strain of keeping her clan-mates ‘pleased’, she just wanted to relax now. The day had dragged by, every hour a snail’s pace. Tora had felt like snapping at one of them, but wisely kept her mouth shut, despite her top lip curling every now and then.

 

As she sat there alone, she found herself reconsidering everything. The more she thought about it, the more terrible her idea of hanging out with a pair of Koga dogs sounded. She didn’t even have a backup plan in case something went wrong. Tora glanced up at the sky, wondering what the time of day was.

 

Time ticked by and Tora found herself growing increasingly more concerned. Concerned that the dogs weren’t going to show up, concerned that she had walked right into an ambush and concerned that somebody from the Iga was going to notice she was missing and find her loitering just a few paces away from Koga territory.

 

“You actually came!” She jumped as Kaguya’s head popped up from behind a clump of ferns. The Iga heir hadn’t been expecting the Koga to surprise her like that.

 

“ _You_  actually came!” Tora found herself repeating. She sniffed at the air, searching for the scent of any more Koga Kaguya may have brought with her. The smell of another dog hit her senses and a moment later, Raiju emerged to linger beside his sister. He glanced at her, his gaze unreadable, before sitting down on the ground.

 

“You know, you never did give us your name.” He muttered.

 

She wasn’t happy with telling them her name, but if she lied, she didn’t know what they would do. “Tora,” she answered, unsure where the conversation was heading.

 

“Tora?” Raiju echoed curiously. “Tiger.”

 

“I think my parents had an animal theme when they named us.” Tora remarked, struggling to make conversation. “You?”

 

“Kaguya and Raiju are nice names.” Kaguya said.

 

Tora opened her mouth to respond when Raiju blurted: “Do you want to hunt?” At the sight of Tora and Kaguya’s flat stares, he shrugged. “I mean, we may as well do something. Do you really want to just sit here and talk?”

 

Kaguya frowned and Tora shrugged. “Sure.” To be honest, she was beginning to grow jittery from talking about herself; a good run might put her mind at ease. But there was a question she couldn’t help but ask.

 

“Do you really think we’d be able to catch prey on the border?”

 

Raiju didn’t seem too bothered about straying onto his enemy’s turf. “There’s nothing wrong with bending the rules a little.”

 

“You’re not setting foot into Iga territory.” Although Tora felt uneasy at the prospect of setting one paw over the border, she disliked the idea of a pair of Koga prancing through her father’s territory even more.

 

Pretending not to notice Raiju’s flustered expression, Tora inhaled deeply, picking up a sweet scent that made her mouth water. “Rabbit.” Kaguya had sensed it, too. The two females’ gazes met, eyes glimmering with anticipation as they took off in the direction of their unsuspecting prey.

 

Branches whipped at Tora’s face as she sped through the undergrowth. Up ahead, she caught sight of the fleeing rabbit’s white tail swerving into Iga territory. Without hesitating, she darted after it, making a wide arc and forcing it back toward the border and into Raiju’s salivating jaws.

 

Its shriek was cut short and Raiju dropped its limp body to the ground. “Not bad for an Iga weakling.”


	5. Chapter 5

Two years had passed since Tora met and befriended the two Koga ganin, Raiju and Kaguya. In that time, her sisters had grown, aged two.

 

If Tora was honest with herself, she loved Ushi the most out of all her sisters, which was saying something about the other three. The four-year-old had been bullied by Hebi, Tatsu and Nezumi from the moment they could walk. One would think _puppies_ bullying a two-year-old would be absurd.

 

But not Tora. She wasn’t sure what she had done to earn her younger sisters’ ire, but she had to keep her mouth shut anyway.

 

“Tora!” Nezumi shouted from the other side of the yard. Born the runt of the litter, Nezumi had inherited her father’s white fur. She was also the loudest and most forward ganin in the Iga.

 

Tora sighed as she glanced over, not wanting to get up yet. “What is it?”

 

“When are you going to look for a mate?” Nezumi continued, unrepentant of her ‘crime’.

 

This annoyed Tora; it was all her sisters said lately. However, she knew it was a valid point they were raising, as she was the perfect age to be a parent. Regardless, she had no interest in any of the Iga males here. Just as she was about to comment that she wasn’t, she remembered Raiju. Would he be interested?

 

“Yeah, you know it’s your responsibility to produce an heir.” Another voice chimed in. It belonged to Hebi, the lithe runner of the sisters. Born with dark grey fur with darker flecks splattered across her pelt, she was the talkative manipulator. She had no remorse when doing so for ‘entertainment’.

 

“Tora, honestly, come on. You know our parents are too old to have more litters. The clan depends on you as you were the first-born.” The third sister piped up. Tora could tell it was Tatsu without even looking over in their direction. Her honesty was her greatest flaw, despite it being her best trait. Well-built and sturdy-looking, Tatsu had thick dark grey fur which was shiny from how much time she spent grooming it.

 

“Enough!” Tora shot to her paws and snapped out, growling angrily. All she wanted today was to rest, not have her sisters annoy the hell out of her. She noticed Ushi in the corner, away from the other three and wanted to comfort her, but realized she hadn’t done anything to stop the others. For her, she felt remorse at her outburst and murmured: “I’m sorry, Ushi.” as she tore away from the clan’s land.

 

 _Hebi, Tatsu and Nezumi… They are the bane of my life_ , Tora couldn’t help herself think as she ran through the forest towards Koga territory.

 

Tora knew if her sisters found out where she was going, she’d get into trouble. But right now, she was so irritated she didn’t bother covering her tracks. Soon she made it to the border and stopped to get her breath back.

 

She hoped Raiju and Kaguya would turn up. It hadn’t crossed her mind once while her sisters were bullying her but, now that she’d had a chance to stop and calm down again, she was seriously considering asking Raiju if he would become her mate. She hoped he would agree.

 

Tora was going over the question in her head when the two siblings emerged, surprising her. Kaguya chuckled and smiled warmly, sensing something was off.

 

“Are you alright?” The Koga female asked the Iga.

 

Tora sat down and scratched herself with a hind leg. “I am now that you two are here. Younger siblings are such a pain.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Your sisters annoying you again?” Raiju sniped in amusement, laughing. He’d always found the issue of four six-week-old puppies bullying their two-year-old sister highly entertaining.

 

Tora whuffed dryly, somewhat seeing the funny side. “Yes,” she answered after settling down. “They are and it’s really irritating me.”

 

Raiju gave her a look. “Do something about it then.” He hadn’t come to the border with his sister to hear a tale of woe.

 

“Raiju!” Kaguya looked shocked.

 

“What?” The male deadpanned at his sibling. It was true. The Koga didn’t have time for pity parties and sob stories. He was losing interest.

 

Kaguya grimaced at her brother. He could at least be a touch more sympathetic towards the Iga. She shook her head and faced Tora. “I’m sorry. Our leader is in a mood at the present moment and the change in attitude is affecting the rest of us. Please forgive Raiju.”

 

Tora had initially recoiled from Raiju’s nasty tone, but understood the situation more now that Kaguya had explained it. “It’s fine. Thanks, though. He’s forgiven.”

 

As Tora lowered her head, as if trying to think of what to say next, Raiju faced his sister. “What was that for?” He snarled lowly. He knew Kaguya knew that wasn’t the true reason, so why had she lied?

 

“I know what you’re doing, brother, and I don’t approve.”

 

It was Raiju’s turn to move back, seemingly in shock. Kaguya knew what he was up to, his own sister? How? He hadn’t told anyone!

 

Kaguya gave him a dark look. “Your actions speak louder than words, dear brother. I know exactly what you’re up to, even if she doesn’t. Though, she will find out eventually; you know that, don’t you? You aren’t exactly the most subtle of ganin, after all.”

 

“What will I know?” Tora asked, like she hadn’t heard their conversation.

 

Kaguya glanced at Raiju with a raised eyebrow, perplexed. How had this Iga not heard what they were discussing? They were right there, in front of her. Raiju lifted a forepaw and flopped it to the side in as best a shrug as he could manage. He was just as confused by what was going on.

 

Swallowing to try and settle her nerves after that revelation, Kaguya continued on as if their conversation hadn’t happened. “Nothing, Tora. It wasn’t important.”

 

“Okay, sorry for bothering you.” The grey-furred Iga apologized.

 

‘Why’s she apologizing?’ Kaguya mouthed to her brother. The Iga weren’t this easy to fool, surely? Or was it her good nature and belief that everyone has good in them that was making her behave like this? Neither sibling was sure, but they weren’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

So Raiju seized the chance while he could, since he figured Tora wanted to talk to him about something. How much more obvious was she? “Kaguya, go and catch some food for us if you could. We’re going to be here a while.” He instructed his sister, who stared at him. “Tora wants to ask me something and we’re going to need to eat later.”

 

Kaguya sighed and nodded, before taking off in a lope.

 

Turning to Tora, he remarked: “What did you want to ask me that I had to send my sister away?”

 

“Would you be my mate?” Tora requested, her head bowed in both a sign of respect and a plea. She explained that her clan-mates were asking her all of the time when she was going to get a mate and have a litter in order to fulfil her responsibilities.

 

Raiju considered the request. “Very well.”


	7. Chapter 7

In the hours after she and her friends had parted, Tora padded through her forest, barely thinking about where she was heading. There was a sense of irony surrounding the event that had just occurred; she finally had found herself a mate that her clan had craved for her to find, yet he was one of her family’s most hated enemies. Just the thought of it made her chuckle.

 

Her happiness was cut short a moment later.

 

She stopped in her tracks when the coppery stench of blood hit her nose.

 

A shudder rippled through her body. It wasn’t the blood of prey that she’d grown desensitized to over years of hunting. This was the acrid smell of dog and human blood mingled into a bone-chilling concoction.

 

Her body moved without her thinking. Her feet beneath her were a blur as she sped through the undergrowth, numb to the thorns that tore at her pelt as she blundered past. Her stomach churned as the stench of blood, smoke and fear grew ever stronger as she approached her home.

 

A group of humans rushed past, clamouring to put out a fire that had been started in one of the buildings. Shouts filled the air, calling for medics to heal the wounded. A high wail made Tora shudder. A mother cradled her motionless child.

 

“What…” She struggled to find words. Her feet felt as heavy as lead as she stumbled through the Iga village.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her father talking with Katsu. “… sabotage, though it wasn’t orchestrated by anyone important. The group was small, no casualties on their side…” His eyes landed on his daughter. “Tora!”

 

Tora found herself recoiling as he marched over, but she caught sight of the unmistakable relief that flooded his expression. “What happened?”

 

“A ragtag group of Koga, wanted to cause trouble. They were successful, the place is chaos right now.” His eyes narrowed. “Where were you?”

 

“I was out.” That had always been her excuse. Most of the other dogs had stopped questioning it.

 

Akame looked as if he wanted to interrogate her further, but his mate’s call made his head turn. “Hakutaka!”

 

Tora’s mother stood on quivering legs before the body of another dog, their black fur shimmering with ruby red blood. Tora’s heart broke.

 

“Ushi!” Her sisters rushed past. Hebi, Nezumi and Tatsu stared down at their littermate as if they had the power to will her back to life. Hebi hesitantly nosed at the body, attempting to rouse her sister.

 

Akame had fallen silent. For what seemed like forever, the six of them stood around the corpse, the air around them grey with smoke and the air alive with shrieks and shouts.

 

It was strange. Tora could have never described herself as being close to any of her sisters, but there was something about standing right by Ushi’s chilling body with her mourning family that made her chest ache.

 

“Where were you?” Nezumi’s voice broke the brief quiet. It took Tora a moment to realize that her younger sister was addressing her. “Where were you?”

 

Akame cast his tiny daughter an unreadable look. “Nezu-”

 

“We needed soldiers to defend our home.” Nezumi snarled, ignoring him. “Where do you keep disappearing off to? Don’t you care about the Iga?”

 

“She never has; you already know that.” Hebi snapped, burying her nose in Ushi’s fur.

 

Nezumi opened her mouth to continue, but Akame’s furious glare shut her up. “Now is not the time for that.” He said coldly.

 

The family lapsed into silence once more, one member short.


	8. Chapter 8

Tora didn’t leave to see Raiju the next day. Or the day after. Part of her didn’t want to risk getting caught sneaking away, but mostly, she didn’t want to interact with a Koga for a while after what had happened to her home.

 

She really shouldn’t have felt surprised. She knew the risks that would come from befriending the Iga’s enemies, yet she went through with it anyway. Raiju and Kaguya were her friends, but the sins of their clan were still there.

 

In the meantime, Tora busied herself with rebuilding what had been destroyed. Only one building had been damaged and there were few casualties, but it was enough to give her an excuse to stay with the Iga as she worked up the desire to visit her friends.

 

When she finally decided she could wait no longer, she slipped away from the watchful eyes of her clan, back into the dark comfort of the forest.

 

She wasn’t surprised to find their meeting place empty. Nonetheless, she took shelter beneath a leafy shrub to wait. She had no guarantee that anybody would show up; many days, one party would be unable to sneak away from their respective clans.

 

Much to her surprise, it wasn’t long until a familiar scent reached her nose. “I didn’t think you’d be coming.”

 

Tora raised her head as Kaguya stepped into her field of vision. “You came!” She scanned around her for any sight of Raiju, but Kaguya had come alone.

 

Her disappointment didn’t go unnoticed by Kaguya. “He really wanted to come.” She assured her. “He’s been coming here every day.”

 

“Oh?” Tora felt a stab of guilt. Raiju was probably feeling terrible about the fact that he had to stand by as his clan assaulted her family just days ago. Being mates most likely meant they had to offer comfort and support to each other in times like these.

 

“Don’t worry about him, he’s alright.” Kaguya told her. “I kept telling him that you just wanted space and, well, I think he’s just worried about you.”

 

For a moment, Tora considered telling Kaguya the truth about her and Raiju’s relationship, but decided against it. Raiju had the right to choose how and when his sister learnt the true nature of their relationship.

 

“How have you been going?” She asked instead.

 

Kaguya wriggled under the shrub to lie beside Tora. “Awkward. Some humans were talking about wanting to be vigilantes and taking justice into their own hands a few days before the attack. I had no idea they were being serious at first, but…”

 

“… If you tried to stop them, they would have grown suspicious of you.” Tora finished with an understanding nod. Kaguya frowned and Tora cast her a quizzical look. “What is it?”

 

“If you knew some people in your clan were planning to attack the Koga's camp, would you do anything to stop it, Tora?” She asked.

 

Tora stared at her, astonished. “Of course! I don’t want the two of you getting hurt!”

 

“What if you knew that we’d be safe when the attack takes place?” Kaguya asked.

 

Tora went quiet.

 

She wanted to say that she would try and stop the attack, but she knew that wouldn’t have been the case if the choice was in her paws. She was friends with Kaguya and mates with Raiju, but she was still an enemy of the Koga. Despite her bordering hatred for her sisters, she was and always would be an Iga ganin and nothing else.

 

“Me too.” Kaguya said softly, as if she had read her mind.


	9. Chapter 9

Two days later, Tora managed to slip away again, heading to the border. Her sisters were still giving her grief about the death of Ushi and it was really getting on her nerves. But what was on her mind right now was the fact she needed to talk to Raiju.

 

Something wasn’t sitting right with her.

 

She wasn’t sure if those rogue Koga just happened on their camp or if someone had told them where the Iga lived. Tora hoped it wasn’t the latter and, more importantly, hoped it wasn’t the Koga she held close to her heart.

 

What if…? No, it wasn’t true. Raiju wasn’t the one responsible for the death of her sister. She didn’t believe it was him. He wouldn’t do that to her, not at all.

 

Soon, she had arrived at the border and sat down to wait for Raiju. It wasn’t too long before he arrived.

 

Tora got to her paws slowly and stared evenly at the Koga’s eyes before her nerve broke.

 

“What is it?” Raiju asked, padding over to stand beside her. He could tell from her uneasiness that something was wrong, but he wasn’t sure what.

 

Tora shook her head, but seemed to regain her composure in the following minutes of silence. “You weren’t the one who told those Koga where the Iga base was, were you?”

 

Raiju instantly replied. “I didn’t.”

 

Tora noted his instant answer, but was content with his reply. “Thank you,” she replied. After a moment, she sat back down, raising a hind leg to scratch an ear. Now that she had heard the truth from Raiju, she felt happier and her concerns disappeared.

 

 

Raiju, however, frowned slightly and an ear flicked back in displeasure. He was lying to her and he knew it. How could she not notice? He shook his head. He supposed it didn’t matter; she could find out later when it was time. _Heh…_ Raiju mentally laughed.

 

 

The pair continued to talk until the sun started its descent in the sky, prompting Tora to bolt to her paws after she had gotten intimate with her Koga. The knotting had surprised her, but she figured all male dogs did that when they mated with females. How else were litters born?

 

She thanked Raiju for his company and the discussion they’d had, before hurrying back to her own camp. Tora didn’t want her sisters even angrier.

 

By the time she got back to the Iga camp, her father was on lookout duty – something he rarely did these days. But Tora supposed it was because of the rogue Koga’s recently. He turned his head when he saw her and called her name.

 

“Tora! I was so worried.”

 

Tora felt bad when she saw the anxiety in his expression. “Sorry, dad. I was out walking.” She had had a quick swim in the nearby stream after the mating was over, so there shouldn’t be any scent of Koga on her.

 

Hakutaka studied her, despite his ageing, weary eyes. “You say that every time, Tora, but what are you really doing? I do have to wonder.”

 

Keeping her alarm to herself, Tora’s eyes widened at her father’s statement. Did he possibly know what was going on, what she was doing behind their backs? She desperately hoped not; it was still too early to have been found out.

 

“I’ll go and eat and get some rest. Thanks for the concern, dad. I’m fine.” Tora padded off, mindful to keep her gait even until she had gone from her father’s eyesight. Feeling his eyes on her back, she almost started sweating.


	10. Chapter 10

Later that day, a dark brown-furred dog went to visit Tora as she was resting. He had short fur and was generally an easy-going type.

 

“Hi Tora.” The dog greeted his clan-mate as he stood in front of her.

 

Tora glanced up, hoping it wasn’t her father or Katsu. _Oh…_ She was surprised to see it wasn’t either of them. Tora remembered his name as Ashi. “How are you, Ashi?” She returned the greeting, wondering what could be bothering him that he spoke to her instead of her father or Katsu.

 

“I’m doing okay. I’ve just been wondering about you.”

 

Tora cocked her head, unsure of what Ashi meant. Why would he be worried about her? She was doing just fine, forbidden activities aside – but there was no need to mention that. _The fewer clan-mates who know right now the better_ , she thought. Tora hoped to keep it that way.

 

“I’m alright, Ashi. I’ve never been better.” Mentally, she grimaced, hating how she was lying to her clan-mates. But it was necessary in the long run, she believed.

 

Ashi sat down and glanced at his friend. “You’re not around much. Do your sisters bother you too often?”

 

Tora merely nodded.

* * *

 

At the centre of camp, Hakutaka was speaking with Katsu. He was becoming more and more worried about what his daughter was doing when she snuck out after her sisters abused her verbally.

 

“Do you think we should send a tracker after her, sir?” Katsu asked, looking over his shoulder to where the dens were. And where Tora was resting.

 

Hakutaka looked like he wanted to give confirmation, but knew Tora wouldn’t be happy with him if he went down that path. “I would say yes,” he began, “but I can’t.”

 

“Sir, why?!”

 

“I don’t want to break her heart.”

* * *

 

“Miki! Miki, wait, honey!” A frantic female ganin called out to her excitable pup of a daughter.

 

The female ganin was one of the lower-ranked dogs in the pack hierarchy, but the elders of the pack still respected her. They respected any ganin who showed promise and her daughter, Miki, was one of them.

 

Aged three-weeks, she wasn’t a relative of Hakutaka’s. But all in the pack loved her as if she were one of their own offspring. Miki truly was an adorable pup; she revered Hakutaka, seeing him as a role model because of the fur colour they share.

 

Hakutaka glanced over, a smile crossing his muzzle when he saw Miki. He lowered his head and nuzzled the young pup, his eyes observing the mother. “It’s fine, Eri. You should let her visit me more often.”

 

The young mother jumped upon being addressed. “O-Okay. If you wish it, sir.”

* * *

 

In the Koga camp, a stocky-bodied ganin stood on a rock above his warriors. He had thick silvery-grey fur and a missing right eye. His name was Ryoha and he was the pack leader and alpha; sharing roles like the Iga was not in his nature.

 

“Hey! You lot! Attention!”

 

The Koga crowded around the rock, eager to hear their alpha’s instructions.

 

“I want you and you to start preparing yourselves for the kidnapping.” He nodded at two random Koga ganin. “The bitch isn’t showing signs yet, but it won’t be long before she is. Well done, Raiju. Be proud.”

 

The dark-coloured Koga nodded respectfully to his leader. “Thank you, sir. It was all part of the plan.” He didn’t understand why his sister wasn’t here, though. Where was Kaguya? She never missed a clan meeting. Raiju would have to look into her absence after. The meeting was almost over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And here’s chapter 10. Enjoy everyone. :D
> 
> 1) Shameless BNHA character reference by name only. It was better than calling Miki’s mother “female dog” all the time.
> 
> 2) Ryoha will use derogatory words from time to time, but only rarely. He certainly doesn’t see the females of the Koga like that.


	11. Chapter 11

Three weeks after the mating, one of the Iga humans noticed Tora was getting up later each morning. He checked her lower stomach, gasping. “!”

 

Midori was surprised to discover that Tora was pregnant, since he knew she hadn’t mated with any of the Iga males. He scratched his chin for a moment, perplexed at the situation. Midori wondered what to do, before deciding he would have to prohibit her from venturing outside camp land.

 

“Heh… I don’t know who you mated with, Tora, but I reckon your father will be proud of you. He’ll finally get an heir. Praises!”

 

On the ground, Tora flicked an ear in discomfort. That was the last thing she wanted her father to know. And if her guess was right about the humans, she wouldn’t be allowed to leave Iga territory anymore now that she was pregnant.

 

Not happy. She had to tell Raiju.

 

She had to get out of here at some point. Even if she had to break the rules to see Raiju, she would see him no matter what. For now, she would lie low and pretend to play by Midori’s rules. Tora would realize soon enough she absolutely hated this.

* * *

 

Ashi was resting by himself, not in the dens. He realized he and Tora were masquerading as being in a relationship when that wasn’t the case, but it did make him wonder who the father really was. Ashi hoped it wasn’t a Koga; that would be just dreadful for them.

 

For the Iga, being purebred meant healthy litters all the time. If a Koga was brought into the mix, lineages would start becoming mixed and puppies would be deemed mongrels. Ashi knew this from his father teaching him when he was a pup. He didn’t want that for the Iga.

 

Ashi wanted the Iga to stay purebred for as long as possible. So if a Koga had mated with Tora, he would _kill_ him for hurting her. He would maim any Koga who went anywhere near his precious Tora. See, the one thing thing the Iga all believed in was that every individual was as precious as the next; so it wasn’t just a term of endearment Ashi was using when he thought that way about Tora.

 

He would lay his life down on the line to protect Tora or any of the Iga from harm. It was his promise.

* * *

 

“It’s been three weeks, sir.” Katsu spoke to Hakutaka after hearing about Tora’s status from the humans. The second-in-command had hoped the female ganin hadn’t mated with a Koga, but it seemed likely that that was now the case. “Detaining her is the only option. Punishment for her actions, perse?”

 

Hakutaka still shook his head no. “Be that as it may, no Iga has been stopped from leaving the camp before. I’m not going to start now.”

 

“But sir!” Katsu couldn’t believe what he was hearing. If rules weren’t put in place to stop this from happening again… He sighed.

* * *

 

In the Koga’s camp, the ganin were becoming irritable and restless. Most couldn’t believe there was another six weeks of the Iga’s pregnancy left. Raiju and Kaguya were possibly the only calm ones there, though Kaguya was anxious as well. She missed seeing Tora and having discussions with the Iga ganin.

 

She personally hoped she could see Tora again soon, but wondered at what cost it would be. Kaguya herself had never been pregnant and wasn’t sure if she wanted to try. Especially if it was as arduous as what she’d heard.

 

For now, she would wait until Tora returned.


	12. Chapter 12

Two days had passed and finally the amount of dogs seeming to guard the camp had dwindled. Tora took her chances and slipped away from her clan-mates. Unable to head there at a fast pace like usual, Tora had to amble as she didn’t want to harm her unborn offspring.

 

Much to her surprise, Raiju wasn’t waiting at the border like she’d hoped.

 

Instead, it was Kaguya. The Koga female bolted to her paws as soon as she smelt Tora and gave a happy bark. “You finally came back!” She exclaimed.

 

Tora flicked an ear, feeling uncomfortable in Kaguya’s presence.

* * *

 

Ashi was jerked awake by an ear-piercing shriek. He stumbled to his paws, struggling to tear the drowsiness from his mind as adrenaline shot through his body.

 

Humans and dogs alike were charging through the village. Hackles raised, he bared his teeth, eyes darting to every moving object as he tried to pinpoint the threat.

 

Nezumi came bounding by and Ashi was astounded at her uncharacteristic enthusiasm. “Your pups are coming!”

 

Ashi blinked, his disoriented mind slowly piecing it together. “My…”

 

In a daze, he staggered after her, exhaustion weighing down on his paws as relief that they weren’t under attack flooded him. The crowd parted for him as he reached the building Tora was in. _My pups…_

 

Shining eyes observed him. Murmurs of pride and encouragement rippled through the audience in between Tora’s agonised gasps.

 

Nezumi and her sisters were watching with a disgusting level of glee. At that moment, all Ashi wanted to do was turn back and go back to sleep. He didn’t want to stand and watch this dog go through agony for the satisfaction of a clan that didn’t deserve her.

 

He closed his eyes and tried to block out the noise. A warm pelt pressed against his shoulder. Somebody murmured: “You must be so proud…”

 

His claws dug into the dirt beneath his feet.

 

For a moment, there was silence. And then a triumphant howl. “It’s a boy!”

 

A crescendo of howls erupted from the onlookers. Ashi’s ears flattened at the symphony of shrieks. He opened his eyes to see Tora laying on her side, panting and exhausted as her family flocked to see her pup.

 

His paws carried him toward her and he nuzzled her neck. Not out of any romantic attraction, but because _somebody_ had to comfort her after what she had been through.

 

Finally, he straightened up and cast the ensemble a venomous look. “Get out of here, all of you!” He barked. “Can’t you see she needs rest?”

 

Despite his words, it took much longer for the gathered Iga to finally clear out and leave the two of them alone. He sighed and nudged the pup toward his mother. Now that he was able to see it properly, he was struck by how much he looked like his grandfather. His fur was pure white, without a trace of any other colour to be found.

 

Tora watched her son with a look of pure pride. “He’s beautiful.”

 

Ashi hummed a response, unsure whether to look at her or the pup. “He’s not mine.”

 

She didn’t turn to look at him. “I don’t recall saying he was.”

 

There was a pause and the two of them watched the baby curl up against his mother’s chest to sleep. “I don’t mind.” Ashi said at last.

 

For the first time, she glanced at him. “Don’t mind what?”

 

“Pretending to be the father.” He scented the air to make sure nobody could have been eavesdropping on them. “I know the real father isn’t an Iga.”


	13. Chapter 13

"Otherwise, you would have shared his name with the rest of us.” Tora opened her mouth to respond, but he continued. “I don’t care if your mate is a stray or even a Koga dog. Your son is the heir of our clan and if the others find out he’s only half Iga, there’ll be trouble for all of us, especially him.”

 

Tora was quiet and then she sighed. “You’re not wrong.”

 

Ashi hesitated and then curled up beside her. The two of them felt stiff and awkward lying side by side. The fact that he had to get used to it made him shudder, but looking at the sleeping pup reminded him why he was ready to deceive his own family.

 

For the future of the Iga, he would do anything.

* * *

 

“I thought I should let you know, I always believed in you.”

 

Tora forced herself not to roll her eyes at Tatsu’s words. Since her son’s birth, her sister was practically glued to her side, poised to make backhanded compliments and give advice she was in no position to give.

 

The white pup was toddling around the room on his short legs. Already, he had proven himself to be incredibly adventurous. Often, Tora would take a nap, only to find he’d tried to wander into the forest. As he got nearer to the door, Tatsu leapt to her feet and carted him back to his mother’s side.

 

“You know, I can take care of him by myself.” Tora told her younger sister.

 

Tatsu snorted. “I’m sure you can.” She said in the least genuine tone Tora had ever heard her use. “It only took you forever to find a mate. I’m not going to have you let your only son get himself killed.”

 

Tora bristled and suppressed the urge to tear Tatsu’s ear off. The other dog didn’t seem to notice her demeanour as she carried on.

 

“Anyway, have you or Ashi thought up a name yet?”

 

This at least gave Tora something to think about other than causing grievous harm to her sister. “I’ve considered naming him Taka, after his grandfather.” She admitted. “Though, I might like the name ‘Byakko’.”

 

“I like Taka. Call him that.” Tatsu said.

 

Tora frowned and, in that instant, made up her mind. “Actually, Byakko sounds much better.”

 

She managed to tune Tatsu out as the other dog went on a tirade about something Tora really couldn’t care less about as she watched Byakko clumsily dig into a pile of hay. The more she looked at him, the more she realised how much he resembled his real father. The colour of his fur was a result of his Iga blood, but the shape of his face matched Raiju exactly. Not to mention the tuft of fur akin to a mohawk atop his head that was becoming more evident with each passing day.

 

Every time a clan-mate’s eyes fell on him, she could feel her heart race as she waited for the inevitable cry of recognition the moment they spotted the Koga within him. Every time her father spoke to her about her son and supposed mate, she expected him to reveal he knew all along where the father came from.

 

Byakko wandered too close to the exit once more and Tatsu returned him to Tora, dropping him at her paws like a sack of potatoes. She found herself drawing Byakko close to her chest. It was only a matter of time until his true heritage was revealed.

 

A shadow fell upon them. Ashi appeared in the doorway, carrying a chunk of meat.


	14. Chapter 14

He bumped shoulders with Tatsu as he walked past her to reach Tora, almost sending her sprawling.

 

“I guess that’s my cue to leave…” Tatsu muttered, sticking her nose in the hair and sauntering out.

 

Byakko cast Tora a sympathetic glance. “How do you put up with her?”

 

“Even I don’t have an answer to that.” Tora responded, shooing Byakko away from her food. Her son’s recently opened eyes widened as he caught sight of the dog he believed to be his father and almost tripped in his rush to greet him.

 

Tora could feel her heart crack. How could she raise her son on a lie? He deserved to know who his father really was. She couldn’t bear to deceive him all his life.

 

Watching Byakko play with Ashi among the hay, she decided it was time for him to meet his real father.

 

When Byakko had fallen asleep a little later, Tora called Ashi over. “I… intend to show him his real father.” She managed to get out, her breathing quickening. Ashi knew he wasn’t the pup’s father, but still said nothing. His reaction now would make or break her.

 

“I hope everything goes how you planned, Tora.”

 

“A-Ashi?” Tora stammered, taken aback by her Clanmate’s tone. She had thought the older dog would be okay with being her mate, even though he wasn’t really the father of her pups.

 

Ashi walked up to her. “I’m more than okay with being your mate, in the eyes of the clan.” He reassured her, hoping he hadn’t scared her off of what she was going to do. “But it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out, that they see that the pups aren’t purebred Iga.”

 

Tora bowed her head, apologizing. “I know. I’m sorry for the deception.”

 

“Don’t be sorry.” Ashi nosed Tora, trying to keep her positive. “I’m sure there were Iga in the past who did the exact same thing.” He couldn’t be sure, not completely, but forbidden romances happened all of the time. There was no avoiding it, not really. Love was love. It happened regardless of boundaries.

 

Regardless of time, even.

 

“Anyway,” Ashi continued. “When do you think you’ll slip out with Byakko?”

 

Tora sighed and glanced in the direction of where her father would be. “I’m going to try tonight, when the night is blackest.”

 

Ashi realized that was a wise decision.

 

The sun dragged across the sky at a snail’s pace. Tora couldn’t help but feel relieved that her family was too focused on visiting her pup to notice her anxious silence. She knew that if she was caught, Byakko would no doubt be killed and she’d be exiled. But she couldn’t raise him on a lie.

 

Not only that, but Raiju deserved to meet his son. Her heart twisted just thinking about her mate. Their son was the sworn enemy of his father’s clan. How could Raiju face his child in battle?

 

The crescent moon trailed across the clear sky. Doubt gnawed at Tora, but she’d already made up her mind.

 

She nosed a sleepy Byakko to his paws. “Wake up, my little prince.”

 

He protested and nestled deeper into his bedding. With an amused sigh, Tora picked him up in her jaws.

 

After years of sneaking out to meet her Koga friends, avoiding the guards was second nature. It felt good to be back in the woods, ferns brushing her pelt as she slipped through the undergrowth. The nursery she shared with Byakko was constricting despite its spacious interior. Tora much preferred the sky-high reach of thousands of trees.


End file.
